NEC Plans New Dams for Flood Control

The National Economic Council (NEC), Nigeria’s top economic advisory body, has proposed new dam projects in the South-East and South-South regions as part of flood control measures. This decision came following a recommendation to enhance flood mitigation by including these regions in the Federal Government’s dam construction plans.

At the 144th NEC meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, disclosed that the council supported a previous directive requiring the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to perform a thorough integrity test on Nigeria’s waterways and dams. This action aims to mitigate the severe flooding that affected numerous parts of the country this year.

Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, provided an update to the council, noting that 148 local government areas across 31 states were identified as high-risk flood zones for the April to November 2024 period.

Governor Soludo stated that, based on the minister’s presentation, the NEC decided that the Ministry should conduct an integrity review on all dams and waterways. Additionally, there was an emphasis on launching a comprehensive dredging program. The council urged states yet to submit reports on local flooding and management practices to do so promptly.

The council also discussed the Green Climate Fund and highlighted the need for it to include resilient infrastructure funding, especially for areas severely affected by flooding, such as the South-East and South-South, which have largely been excluded from current dam construction initiatives. These dams could act as barriers, particularly along the River Niger, to reduce flood impact.

Governor Soludo further noted that NEC assessed the nationwide flood damage and reviewed the coordination efforts between federal and state governments. Recent flooding events have impacted 34 states, displacing 740,743 individuals and affecting 1,374,557 people, with over 250,800 hectares of cultivated land damaged.

The council also called for an annual desilting program for waterways to minimize future flood risks. Minister Utsev mentioned that a technical sub-committee, established by the President on October 8, 2024, is actively working on an interim report that will be presented to an inter-ministerial committee before submission to the President.